Stake-pocket



L. D. GREGG;

STAKBPOGKET.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.14, 19104 Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

earns la LOUIS DAMARN GREGG, F NEWBURGH, NEW YORK, ASSGNOR TO THE GREG-G COMPANY, LTD., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STAKE-IPOCKET Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Ang. 20, 1912.

Application filed April 14, 1910. Serial No. 555,533.

To all whom 2f may concern:

Be it known that l, LOUIS l). Genoa, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newburgh, in the county of Orange and State ot New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stake- Pockets; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ot the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,- ret'erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and tignes ot reference marked thereon, which torni a part of this specification.

The present invention, which relates .to improvements in stake pockets, has for its object the production of an article of that class where-in the principal defect, heretotore common to the conventional and gen- 0 erally accepted type of such articles, is overcome. As ordinarily constructed, these socalled pockets are provided with a swinging gate adapted to be locked in closed position by a latch operated by a lever or equiv- 5 alcnt device. The latch is designed to fall by gravity into inoperative position when the lever or other operating device is out of engagement therewith, to permit the openingvof the gate and the subsequent removal of the stake. rlhis Oravital movement. how- O n ever, does not always take place, and in such instance the release of the gate by the latch is frequently attained only with appreciable diniculty, occasioning considerable delay in 5 the removal ot the stake and the unloading ot" the freight from the car. y

To ottset the detect above mentioned and thus insure the disengagement of the latch .trom the gate and its movement into inoperative position, this invention contemplates the provision of a4 latch and an operating device therefor so constructed that the release movement of the latter will not lonly forcibly disengage the former from the gate 5 but willr also eiiect its movement into inoperative position, whereupon the gate may be readily opened,-

The accompanying drawings illustrate a practical embodiment of the invention, butA it is to be understood that no limitation to the precise construction shown therein is intended. since modiications may be made within the scope of the appended claims, and equivalent elements substituted for the 5 corresponding parts in the illustrated structure.

ln said drawings, Figure 1 is a 'perspective view of the complete invention, showing the gate open; and Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sectional views showing the two positions ot the latch and locking device.

Reference being had tothe drawings, and to the numerals marked thereon, 1 designates in a general manner the pocket, 2 the gate for closing the open side thereof, 3 the latch tor locking the gate in closed position,

and 4 the operating device associated with the latch.

The pocket 1 is of the conventional type, or of any type preferred or in more or less common use. Its open side, in the present instance the front, is designed to be closed, as above stated, by the gate 2 which element in the construction illustrated is hinged at.A

one end as indicated by the numeral 5 to the adjacent side wall 6, of the pocket. The other end of this element is formed with a reduced 'lateral projection or tongue 7 adapted for reception in an inwardly extend ing notch 8 or seat with which the front edge of the opposite side wall 9 of said .pocket is provided. To hold. the gate in closed position, the latch 3 lis provided. This element is, as shown, preferably in the form of a bell-crank lever pivoted at .its apex on a pin 10 set laterally into the pocket wall 9, the longer arm 11 ot the lever being providedv with an Lip-turned terminal bill 12 while its shorter arm 13 is provided with an out-turned or lateral lug or linger 1li. The

first-mentioned arm ot said latch lever .is cut away at its upper ed ge directly adjacent the terminal 12, the inner :tace or edge of which latter is plane, thereby providing a seat 15, wherein the gate projection 7 is designed to be received when said gate is closed and. the latch raised into operative position. This movement of the latch is effected by means of the operating device et which is likewise in the form of a lever and is pivoted adj ac nt its inner end to a second lateral pin 1G arranged below and in advance of pin 10.

The said inner end of the lever 4 is pret'- lower end of the stake 19 is inserted in the pocket, after which the gate is closed and its projection Tseated in the recess 8. The

gate is then locked in this position by the application ot downward pressure iiocii handle end 18 of lever il, such pre causing its rounded. enf 17 to move im Wardly and torce the l g' latch arm 1l in the same direction irai gate projection 7 is received in. seat l5, said end binding against the lower snrl'ace of the latch arm and 'preventing displacement oi" the same. When the gate is to he opened, pressure is applied in the opposite direction upon the lever handle, thereby eilecting af movement of its end l? forcibly against the lug or finger lil upon the shorter latch arm 13. When 'this takes place, said arm 13 will be moved inwardly oit the pocket, andthe longer latch arm' 1l, in consequence, will oe forced to swing downwardly, away from the gate projection, which latter Will be thus disengaged. The gate may then be readily swung open and the stake subsequently re moved from the pocket. It will be observed, therefore, that one arm of the latch thus constitutes a locking means, and the other arm a releasing means, and that the operating lever ,or equivalent device is designed. to engage one arm Wlieiimoved in one direction and the other erin when moved in the opposite direction. lliese terms are employed in this connection in the append ed claims. lt will also be observed that the short arm 13 of the latch hangs below the fulcrum pin 10 and somewhat forward of the same so as to serve as a gravitatiiig Weight which tends to lower or assist in lowering the long arm of the latch into unlocking position When released hy the locking lever. A

v'I claim as my invention:

1. The combination, with a pocket and a closure therefor, of a movable latch assox ciated with they closure, and a iinember ar-` ranged to engage and move said. latch one direction for locking said closure in operative position, and to engage. and more said latch in the opposite direction for releasing said closure, said lat-cli and member being so disposed in relation to noch other that when the latch is in locking position sait member will lie substantially in a vertical planeetright angles to the horizontal plane of the latch,

2. The combination, with a pocket and a closure therefor, of. a pivoted latch associa/ted with the closiire and having a locking arm and a releasing arm, and a member for operating saidlatch adapted to engage.

the irst-meiitioned arm for locking said closure in operative position, and to engage the last mentioned arm for releasing said closure. l 3. The combination with a 4poclietand a elosnife therefor, of af latch arranged to eii-l and lock the closure in operative po# sit-ion, and means arranged iiirelation to l l of the. latch, with which it is noin -lly est of contact, tor positively dis' vving the' latch romsaid closure.

The combination, With'a pocket andA ya .faire therefor, of a latch arranged for 'said lever having its short arm hearing against the latch in its locked, position and its long arm depending below the short yarm when in f such position and] serving as a handle for its manipulation.

5. The combination, With vpocket and a closure therefor, vof a latch associated with t e closure for locltiiigtlie latter in one pcf sition, movable member for' operating said laten, and an arm extending from said latch and oer and arranged in the path oit movement of said member oifcoiitact in releasing said latch. The combination, with a pocliet and closure therefor, et' a bell-crank latch asso ciated wit-h'tlie closure, and an olr'ieiating;I nieinberarranged for contact Withy one arm of the latch for engaging theiatter with said closure, to lock the same'in; one'loosii eli to oe brought into Contact with a normally out of contact with said ineintion, and for contact, with the other .arm I -to release said latch from suchengagement.l

7. rlhe combination, with a poeketan'd, a closure therefor, of a oivotall-yrnoiinted helleraiih latch associated with theclosiire, and a pivotallymounted operating lever; .arranged ufor swinging movementin one di;l linto contact with one afin osaid for engaging the latter withsaid-elov sure to ylock the saine iii-operative position,- aiid i"'or swinging movement in 'the lopposite direction into contact `With therjother -erin, releese'said latch from. such engagement.

8.' The combination with a pocketanda closure therefor, of a pivoted latch arranged vits to engage the closure and having .atjts rear a Weight portion so disposed as to tend to lower the forward portion of the latch, anda locking lever so disposed injrelation to the latch as toliear against the lower side to lock it in position to hold atheclof,

*1n testimony whereof lailix my signature in gresenceoftwo Witnesses,

'revois Daiaiiaiii esso-o.

llvlitnesses; y A n G. VT. Krr'mioori, l...` ULAUD MEYER. 

